Friday knitting pattern

It's always interesting choosing a pattern book each week ... basically the most common patterns around are the 70s (which are almost all identical especially the Patons books) and the 1980s (which I'm not particularly fond of knitting wise--eek to big shoulder pads!).

But I made an exception this week with this pattern book put out by the Australian Wool Corporation. I thought the Wool Corporation was created in the 1960s, but fortunately I checked and it turns out it was created in 1973 as a single marketing oriented body to facilitate research, promotion and marketing ... and knitting patterns.


Wool has always been important to Australia. It's always been one of our more important natural resources, and it was as early as 1796 when John Macarthur bought his first merino sheep from a flock of Spanish merino reared in South Africa. Apparently at the time farmers also bought merino sheet but they cross-bred them with other sheep which resulted in coarse wool of a low quality.


I quite like the warm cardi but those pants look evil ... anybody for S&M?


This is totally my favourite. It fits my love of 40s frocks perfectly.


Do you have a favourite? And do you remember the patterns put out by the Wool Corporation?

Friday knitting pattern

I wasn’t a fan of the excesses (clothing wise) of the 80s … when everything went big: big shoulder pads, big hair, big jewellery.

But there were some things that were pretty … take a look at the pretty pin tucked blouse underneath the cardigan.


And how about this jumper? The lacy look and boat neck was all the rage during the 80s and I knitted two identical jumpers: one in pink and another in blue, which I wore all the time.


The only difference was my version had a ribbed neck, which this one does.


Have a lovely weekend guys.

Friday knitting pattern

Here I am at the last moment uploading Friday's knitting pattern ... and this one is so sweet and girly and 1980s.


My mum knitted me something similar to this but I don't have a photo. I remember taking it with me to the UK when I visited in 1984 ... but I think this one is even prettier.


This whole book goes from pretty to prettier ... so much work in this one.


And this one is so elegant ... what self respecting woman in the 80s didn't wear metal accessories (I've got my hand up!).

Friday knitting pattern

Sorry for being so late posting folks ... it's a terrible start to Blogtoberfest and I absolutely promise (cross my heart and hope to die) I will do better from now on.

Today's post is brought to you by the oldest Patons & Baldwin book in my collection, a men's knitting pattern book which may date form the early 1940s.


Not in the best condition (although you wouldn't know to look at it) ... the darn thing's missing its back cover and I think I picked it up before I made it a rule not to buy patterns if they weren't in good knick.

Some of the patterns scream things have changed ... although the pattern on the left above has stood the test of time. But I'm not sure how many of the fellas would be happy with this checkerboard look.


And this last example just looks too effeminate to appear on a man ... and I can't make up my mind whether it's the midriff length, the pointy collar, the clinging look of it or the way the model's standing.


Okay ... time to stop embracing the inner bitch. Usually time for a nap about the time that starts happening!

Happy Blogtoberfest to everybody, and I'm off to visit the Queen of Blogtoberdom (aka Tinniegirl) to see what else is happening.

Friday knitting pattern

Most vintage patterns in the stores are more of the same … the same colours, the same styles, the same poses. Patons, in particular, the best selling providers of patterns and yarn is guilty of this.


So I was really excited when I found two pattern books from the 1960s … stuff made with a sort of string called Tarabast.


And fortunately there was a great explanation of what tarabast is in the pattern books.


I remember this stuff … and it looks great as a bag. There were both knitted and crocheted versions in the books.


I bet lots of op shoppers have even seen versions around and never realised. I may have too.


You can even use it for hats and placemats and coasters .. who would have thought?


I like the knitted bags. Very stylish. I think the blue and white bag is my favourite.


So which is your favourite item? A bag? And which colour?

Friday knitting patterns

It feels like forever since I posted a knitting pattern and this book is so sweet ... a book of bazaar patterns from what must be the 1970s.


I'm not sure which one I'd rather knit first ...

I've been looking for a tea cosy pattern for ages and I don't exactly love any of these. But on the upside I can play with one of them and make them in the pretty pastel cottons I have set aside for it. All three are knit so that's good.


I quite like the giraffe ... it's in crochet. Time to learn a new skill I suppose?


And how about the gorgeous doggie sweaters ... definitely what the best dressed dog in 1973 was wearing.


Have you got a favourite?

Friday knitting pattern

I was in a hurry last night looking for a vintage pattern to share when I caught sight of doll’s patterns on a cover and was even happier to see it’s costumes from around the world.


And how cute are they?

A Scotswoman in a sweet little kilt.


A Swedish and Finnish costume for the Scandinavians.


This darling little Dutch girl, who led me to start singing "I'm a little Dutch girl I don't care ..." and the rest is quite rude. Anybody else remember that rhyme from their childhood?


And what would the book be without a swagman?


My favourite is this Japanese traditional costume, complete with kimono and obi. She looks absolutely gorgeous and I love the combination of purple and green ... my favourite shades.


Which one would you make?

Friday knitting pattern

Ages and ages ago Mairead posted about old knitting patterns with men with one foot on a rock and staring out into the horizon wearing a nice green cardigan. Look Mairead … no green jumper but a gorgeous fair isle vest from the 1940s(?), staring into the horizon ... and he’s holding a pipe!


I’ve been on the lookout forever for that green cardi wearing fella … but no joy.

I totally love this fair isle vest. So complicated … but so snazzy.

What I wonder about is that pipe. Inside the book are a couple more patterns, and most of the models are using a pipe as a prop.


And the fair else vest must have been popular because it was reprinted (that’s the “R” in R14) on the cover … but with a different guy and he’s looking very manly with a pipe too.


Is it the same pipe? Pipe smoking can’t have been that popular back then … can it?

(PS I’m a bit creeped out now.)

Friday knitting pattern

The bonnets in these pattern books are a little scary looking.


Believe it, or not, this style of bonnet was popular for girls up to the early 1970s, and I remember them in glorious white acrylic with long strings with poms poms on the end. I would have loved one of them at the time but alas … yet another of the things clothes wise I never got as a child.


These are definitely something that doesn’t seem to be part of the vintage cross over going on at the moment, and I’m not so sure I’d really want to see them again.

Friday knitting pattern

There are times the most innocuous of things can surprise or shock me … and this week it’s a knitting pattern.

I’m always trying to think of interesting ways to share the patterns I have—looking for themes or ideas of interest like a couple of weeks ago when I found a number of Starsky & Hutch lookalike cardigans from the mid 1970s.

This week as I looked at my patterns hoping for inspiration something leapt out at me immediately as I looked at this pattern … there’s a guy holding a double barrelled shot gun on the cover! Can you believe it?



It’s not the scruffy, not quite squeaky clean model holding the gun (that’s the guy next to him surprisingly), but the clean cut, perfectly coiffured guy holding the gun.

And it’s not just the once. He’s holding it possessively over and over again on several pages.

Walking in the great outdoors wearing aviator sunnies.



Get a look at the macho body language? And is it just me or is the way Mr Clean Cut is standing at odds with the “scarf wearing Benny Hill gay” look?



Checking to see whether the gun has shells maybe? And are you feeling the envy coming from Mr Scruffy? Mr Scruffy looks as though he's longing to get his hands on the gun.



I never knew knitting could be so scary ...

Friday knitting pattern

I hate to admit I caught the odd Starsky and Hutch episode … but I was never a Team Starsky or Team Hutch devotee.

Best remembered, by me, from the show is this cardi (picture from Jango Wolof).

And my stash holds quite a few versions of it ... firstly from the ever popular Patons patterns.


The cardis were absolutely everywhere ... Cleckheaton/Lincoln also had a version this time with a matching hat.


And naturally enough the pattern mutated ... check out the blue version the woman on the top left is wearing in this Patons book ... and the two guys wearing a more direct lift of the 'Starsky and Hutch' version.


Cleckheaton/Lincoln also did this simpler version for women ... Miss C has one very similar to this in cream.


And I like the soft blue colour of this Sirdar pattern.


Even though Starsky and Hutch are NOT groovy in my book (they were referred to disparagingly at school recess as "Starkers and Muff"), the cardis are totally cool and very now.

And best of all they've given me a way of dating my pattern stash since there's nothing much in the books themselves ... Starsky and Hutch started in 1975 (when I was 15!).

Friday kniting pattern

My stash of knitting patterns mainly between the 1940s and 1970s must be getting close to two feet high (I kid you not!) and yet there’s so little in it I can actually be bothered to make for myself.

This is just about the only pattern that serially calls to me … a cute 4 ply Sirdar pattern (probably English judging by the 7½p for a pattern from the 1970s).


My problem with patterns (knitting, crochet or sewing) is that I’m shallow (or maybe short sighted?).

The garment has to be in a setting or colour that doesn’t detract from the garment itself. Most of the time I don’t seem to be able to get past someone else’s colour choices or the yarn or fabric to see the garment’s possibilities.

But there was nothing to get over with this pattern. I was drawn to the pretty blue of this simple top. I like the layering over a groovy white blouse. And I like the model … she looks exactly like the girl next door.

Now to track down whether I can still get Sirdar 4 ply and a maybe purple yarn at that … the Patons 5 ply I bought the other day just won’t cut it so it’ll stay in the stash for a future project.

Friday knitting pattern

I had visions this week of being much more organised. I was going to go through photos of when I was a kid or stuff my Mum made for the girls when they were little and show the pattern and the photo. (Ah well, there's always next week.

Instead, I'm listening to Youtube clips from Eurovision and I quickly grabbed this book of knitting patterns by Singer ... yes, the sewing machine people. (I still love Alexander Rybak who won last year but someone should tell him it's weird to look so happy when you're singing about how sad it is you can't find your first love and it hurts! Oh Alexander, I still love you!)


Now this book might be from Singer but it's basically a Patons book. And the 60s was the dullest decade for knitting patterns from Patons (followed closely by the early 1970s) ... and this is book is no different. All Patons ever seemed to print were the same old patterns for a basic cardigan, V-neck, round neck, polo neck raglan sleeved garments. All that ever seemed to change were the models and the colours.


But there's a very interesting difference in the way Singer has set out the book.


Instead of giving you each garment individually and how to make that item, the book's divided into the pieces that need to be made eg left sleeve, right sleeve, cardigan front round neck, v-neck sweater front, rear all garments etc. And then there are instructions at the back that tell you how to put the garment together. (If someone can tell me it's a 'sewing' way of setting out instructions I'd love to hear.)

I've never seen a pattern book put together this way before ... have you?